Imaging and optical sensing devices are widely used in both commercial and military applications. Many applications involve long range tracking, and as a result, require a high level of magnification, or zoom, in the optics. Tracking small objects, such as vehicles or people, from long range, for example, from an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) platform, is difficult because the high zoom of the tracking optics required to see the object necessitates a narrow field of view. As a result of the narrow field of view, it is difficult to reacquire the object if it is lost due to terrain, shadows, or other phenomena. Similarly, high-zoom optical scopes or sights, such as those used for aiming a weapon such as a rifle or vehicle-mounted gun, for example, also suffer from poor situational awareness. The user cannot observe things that are even just outside the narrow field of view.
Traditional approaches to addressing these issues have involved the use of variable zoom optics. However, such systems suffer from several disadvantages and are only somewhat effective. For example, there is a time delay associated with changing the zoom, during which time the target object may move outside of the field of view. Also, in certain systems the optics are not focused during the zooming action, and therefore the target object may not be visible during the zoom and may be lost as a result. Additionally, variable zoom optics for certain applications, such as rifle scopes or similar aiming devices, are difficult and expensive to manufacture due to high tolerances. Furthermore, the moving parts associated with most traditional variable zoom optics are common points of failure in the system.